A Primer on CO2 Capture and

Geological Storage (CCS)

William D. Gunter and Ken Brown
Alberta Research Council

Outline

Context
The Science around CCS
Key Components
Storage Options
Provincial, National and International Potential
Economic Analysis
Current Projects
Monitoring tools
National and International Organizations
Looking Ahead
Questions and Answers

Setting the Context

Canadas Climate Change

Challenge: The Gap
Actual Projected

850

2000 emissions
726 Mt or
1990 plus 19%

800

Business as Usual (BAU)

2010 emissions: 808 Mt or
1990 plus 33%

750
The Gap = 240 Mt

700
650
600
550

1990 emissions
607 Mt

Kyoto Target (6% below 1990)

2010 emissions: 571 Mt

500
19
90
19
92
19
94
19
96
19
98
20
00
20
02
20
04
20
06
20
08
20
10
20
12
20
14
20
16
20
18
20
20

Mt of CO2 equivalent

900

Addressing Climate Change

Energy Efficiency
Fuel Switching
Carbon Management

Carbon Management
Capture & Storage

Geological

Ocean

Useful
Products

Sequestration

Ocean

Biomass

Agriculture

Forests

Making the Energy Transition from

Combustion to Zero Emissions
Kyoto 1

2005

Fossil Fuel:
Combustion with
Emission Control

Fossil Fuel:
Energy
Conversion

Fossil Fuel
Energy Conversion

Renewable
Sources

2012

Year 2025

Business as Usual Fossil Fuels

Renewables
Zero Emission Fossil Fuels

Year 2050+

Innovation in Energy & the Environment

The Environmental Revolution: GHG
emission constraints require new approaches
Carbon Management is a new field of
research in the Environmental Revolution
CO2 Capture and Geological Storage
(CCS) is an important area of Carbon
Management
CCS offers an opportunity for Innovation step
changes

Key Components of a CO2

Capture and Storage System

What is Carbon Capture & Storage?

CO2 Source

CO2 Capture

Hydrocarbon
Recovery

CO2 Storage

CO2 Transport

CCS

The prize for Canada

CO2 Storage Options

Sedimentary Basins, Fossil Fuels,

Greenhouse Gases, and Geological
Storage: A Serendipitous Association
Fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) are found in
sedimentary basins.
The fluid fossil fuels are transported to traps
through aquifers.
During conversion of the fuels to energy,
greenhouse gases are created.
Extraction of the fossil fuels have created new
storage space (in the subsurface) which can be
used for geological storage of greenhouse
gases.

Geologic Storage of CO2

Coal
Mine
Coalbed
Methane
Reservoir

Storage in geologic formations

over geologic time
Options include: oil reservoirs,
Coal Minecoalbed methane reservoirs,
depleted oil and gas reservoirs
and deep saline aquifers
Injection into oil reservoirs and
coalbed methane reservoirs
produces oil and gas revenues
which can offset costs
Afford the time to continue to
use fossil fuels until
renewables are developed
CO2 for re-pressurization of
CO pipeline
gas caps
natural gas pipeline
Oil

Reservoir
Gas

Gas Reservoir

Reservoir
Saline
Aquifer

oil pipeline

CO2 pipeline
Natural gas pipeline
Oil pipeline
Coal
Mine
Coalbed
Methane
Reservoir

Oil
Reservoir
Gas
Reservoir
Saline
Aquifer

Provincial, National and

International Potential

Fossil Fuel Supply

Oil
Gas
Coal

Albertas oil sands reserve is huge

- full development will take many
decades
Billion barrels

Mineable

In-situ

Initial in-place

113.2

1,517.2

Initial est. reserve

35.2

143.0

Cum. production

2.7

1.2

Remaining established

32.5

141.9

AEUB as of Dec.31, 2002

Albertas Coal: Status

Resource: Huge
Ultimate Potential: 620 billion tonnes (~ 1860
barrels oil equivalent)
Remaining Reserves (2000): 34 billion tonnes
Production (2003): 29.3 million tonnes
Albertas coal reserves
70% of Canadas
50% of coal produced in Canada
8 Major mines (May 2004)

80% used in electricity generation

Sub-bituminous (low S, clean burning)
20% exported
Metallurgical

Future Driver in Western

Canada
Canadas Kyoto emissions target is future driver for:
(i) CO2 storage
(ii) manufacture of H2 for oil sands upgrading
by gasification
in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Suitability of WCSB for CO2

Fort McMurray

Sample of Initial Stages of a CO2 Backbone

Concept

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

CO2 storage needs CO2 supply

- 4 CO2 supply hubs in Alberta

Fort McMurray
Fort Saskatchewan
Red Deer/Joffre
Wabamun, west of Edmonton

Source: Bob Mitchell

CO2 Backbone
More manifold than pipeline
No necessary direction of flow
Input CO2 from Emission Hubs
Lateral lines to take CO2 to customers sites
Maybe spots for truck or train loading

Maybe postage stamp toll for input rather than

distance-based toll
Attract new industry to locate along it

Backbone Pressure-Balance System By:

Excess volume (injected > sales) then inject in

this order:
1) temporarily store in salt caverns;
2) temporarily store in depleted oil/gas pools;
3) permanently store for research
(at an injection rate appropriate for the research);
4) permanent storage in the deep saline aquifer, &
5) if absolutely necessary, vent to the atmosphere
safety valve only
Backbone makes $15/T for 3 & 4 Backstop for
Govt commitment -- Not offshore credits
Vented CO2,(i.e. 5) allocated back to oversuppliers

Large Scale Deployment of

CC&S Possible in North America

J.J. Dooley, Battelle, Pacific Northwest Lab (2005)

Albertas CO2 Storage Capacity

in the Alberta Sedimentary Basin
CO2 Sinks (total capacity)
CO2 EOR
Depleted Oil and Gas Reservoirs
Coalbed Methane Resource

Deep Saline Aquifers

CO2 Sources (annual)

Alberta GHG
Alberta Power Plants

2000

4000

6000

8000

Megatonnes CO2 Equivalent

10000

Capacity for CO2 Sequestration in

Depleted Oil Reservoirs in Alberta
o 8118
o 193
o 387
o 53
o 12
o 365

single-drive oil pools in Alberta

primary recovery oil pools
water flood oil pools
solvent flood oil pools
gas flood oil pools
commingled and multi-mechanism pools

(2001 Reserves Database)

Ultimate theoretical CO2 sequestration
capacity upon depletion:
1,090 Mt CO2
Stefan Bachu

Capacity for CO2 Sequestration in

Enhanced Oil Recovery in Alberta
o 9128 oil pools in Alberta 2001
Reserves Database)
o 4371 oil pools meet screening criteria
for CO2-flood EOR
o Estimated CO2 capacity at 100% PV

690 Mt

o Estimated incremental recovered oil at

100% PV

304 x 106m3

Stefan Bachu

Enhanced
Oil Recovery
Reservoirs

Depleted
Oil

Production technology is mature

Focus on monitoring and maximizing CO2
uptake
Value added
Commercial projects
1. Weyburn, Saskatchewan (Encana)
2. Joffre Viking (Penn West)

Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2 Miscible Flooding)

CO2Injection for Enhanced

Oil Recovery
Mbbl/d

Production (bbl/day)

50

Base Waterflood Production

Incremental Vertical Production
Incremental Horizontal Production
Incremental Miscible Flood Production

40
30
20
10
0

1955

1965

1975

1985

1995

2005

2015

2025

Generalized Reservoir Model

Weyburn Field, Saskatchewan
SW

NE

Jurassic

Mississippian
Midale Evaporite
Transition Zone

(M1)
(M3)
(V1)

Marly
Vuggy Shoal
(V2)
(V4)
(V6)

(DOL)
(LS)

Vuggy
Intershoal
OGB '00

Frobisher
47

Reservoir Mineral Dissolution

Ca2+ in produced fluids
Pre-injection

12 months

31 months

Calcite and dolomite dissolution increases the Ca2+ and Mg2+

concentrations in produced fluids.
CaCO3 + H2O + CO2

Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

Mineral Dissolution
Total Alkalinity [HCO3-] of produced fluids
Pre-injection

12 months

Mineral dissolution increases the [HCO3-].

CaCO3 + H2O + CO2

Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

31 months

Depleted Gas Reservoirs

Storage technology is mature
Nothing required at this time
Currently used to store Natural Gas

Capacity for CO2 Sequestration in

Depleted Gas Reservoirs in Alberta
28,337 non-associated gas pools
2,309 associated gas pools
(2001 Reserves Database)
Ultimate theoretical CO2 sequestration
capacity upon depletion
13,560 Mt CO2

Stefan Bachu

Identified CO2 Sink Capacity in WCSB

Province

Storage Capacity
(Mt CO2)

Storage Capacity
(Mt CO2)

Alberta

2812

98

522

Northeast BC

780

771

3180

Saskatchewan

79

3720

Manitoba

Eligible Pools1

Type of
Reservoirs

Total
Identified
Pools

Number

Oil

10552

Gas

37033

Total

Basin suitable for sequestration in short to medium term (next 3 decades)

Capable of accepting all CO2 from major point sources in WCSB
Additional advantage of enhanced oil and gas recovery
1Pools

with capacity greater than 1Mt CO2 and at a depth range of 900-3500 m

Source: Stefan Bachu-AEUB/AERI/NRCan

Enhanced Coalbed Methane

CH4

CH4

CH4

Enhanced Coalbed Methane

Technology is immature
Requires technical demonstration and
basic research
Value added
Demonstration Projects
Fenn-Big Valley, Alberta
CSEMP, Alberta (Suncor)

Process of Gas Transport in

Coalbed Methane Reservoirs
c
Fa

t
a
e
l
C
e

Butt Cleat

1. Fluid
Production from
Natural Fractures

2. Gas Desorption
from Cleat
surfaces

3. Molecular
Diffusion through
the coal matrix

New Technology Development Increases Storage Capacity

Forecast Full-Field Development

Production
Numerical Modelling - 5-Spot Pattern
CO2/N2 Content

CO2 Injection
1

N2 Injection

After 1 year

After 3 years

1/4 of 5-Spot Pattern

After 5 years

After 7 years

Constant Injection Rate

Generalized flow diagram of anaerobic

decomposition of organic matter and
generation of methane.
COMPLEX POLYMERS
(cellulose,
polysaccharides, proteins)

Hydrolytic,
fermentative
bacteria

Methanogenic
bacteria

CH4

MONOMERS
(fatty acids, sugars,
amino acids, NH3, HS-,
CO2, acetate, H2)
Syntrophic
acetogenic bacteria
ACETATE,
H2O, H2, CO2

ACETATE FERMENTATION

CARBONATE REDUCTION

CH3COO- + H+ CH4 + CO2

CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H2O

Biogenic Methane Production and CO2

Sequestration
Microbial-directed conversion of CO2 to
methane.
Either by indigenous or introduced microorganisms.

Closed-loop fossil fuel system.

Sustainable methane economy with near zero net
CO2 emissions.
CH4

CO2
Coalbed
CO2
H2

Displace
Microbial
Conversion

CH4
CH4

Aquifers
Injection technology is mature on a small scale
Huge capacity if counting hydrodynamic

trapping in addition to geological trapping

Ubiquitous
Need database for hydrology, capacities,
locations, stability and ranking
Treat oil and gas as related to aquifers
Commercial Projects
Acid gas disposal, Western Canada

CO2 Injection into Aquifers

Acid Gas Injection Sites in the Alberta Basin

Acid Gas Injection Projects

Security of Storage
Trapping mechanisms

Subsurface CO2 Storage Mechanisms

Geochemical
Traps
Well Scale (cm to m)
Separate Phase
Dissolved in oil
Dissolved in water
Adsorbed to coal
Precipitated as
a mineral

Relative perm
effects

Geological
Traps
Reservoir Scale (km)
Stratigraphic trap
Structural trap

Scale Increasing

Hydrodynamic
Traps
Basin Scale (100s km)
Migration trap

Traps for Geological Storage

Representative Cross Section of the Alberta Basin

Capacity for dissolved CO2 in the Viking Aquifer, Alberta Basin

Total capacity: 200 Gt

Capacity in the suitable region: 106 Gt

Storage Security

Opportunities for Geological

Storage
of CO2 in Sedimentary Basins
Depleted Oil Reservoirs

Enhanced Oil Recovery

(EOR)

Depleted Coalbed Methane (CBM) Reservoir

Depleted Gas Reservoirs

Aquifers

Enhanced
CBM

Enhanced Gas Recovery

(EGR)

Monitoring Tools & Application

Short
Circuits

Short Circuit

Short
Circuits

Source: Heidug, Shell

Planning Monitoring Program

definition of project conditions
prediction of mechanisms that control
behavior
technical questions to be answered
purpose of monitoring
parameters to be monitored
magnitude of change expected in
parameters
select instrumentation / monitoring systems
instrument / monitoring locations

Monitoring Provides:

Safety from early warning signals

Security & Liability
Reservoir management tools
Long term activity
Carbon management to verify and certify
emission trading credits

Operational Monitoring
Represents the basic level
of monitoring required by a
company and/or regulatory
agency
Guide 65 application
procedures includes
monitoring
Also by well classification:
Guide 51

Hydraulic isolation
Annular pressure
Injectivity
Formation pressure

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X

Verification Monitoring
Builds on the operational monitoring programs
with a focus on measurement and verification of
geological storage objectives
Intensity of verification monitoring (Low,
Medium and High) based on risk/performance
criteria.
For example:
LOW

a deep injection horizon (saline aquifer) planned for low volume

injection would not require observations wells

or
HIGH a shallow injection horizon planned for high volume injection
would require multiple observation wells and detailed sampling

Environmental Monitoring
Represents critical monitoring stage
This stage invoked when verification
monitoring indicates high probability of
CO2 seepage into biosphere.
Environmental monitoring stage
implemented when system response
deviates significantly from expected
behavior (CO2 migrating or leaking in
unexpected & unexplainable manner)

Phases of Monitoring
Operational

Low Risk

Verification

High Risk

Environmental
Seepage

Aquifer

Aquifer

Aquifer

Aquifer

Leakage
Aquitard

Aquitard

Aquitard

Aquitard

Horizontal &
Lateral Migration

Migration: Movement of CO2 within injected horizon (within geosphere)

Leakage: Movement of CO2 beyond injected horizon through bounding seals

(within geosphere)
Seepage: Movement of CO2 into biosphere (through wellbores or into potable
water horizons)

Geological Storage of CO2

Baseline & Monitoring Survey

CO2 Storage

Monitoring Periods
Baseline
During injection/production ( for 10 years)
At beginning of storage period during
pressure equilibration (for 100 years)
Long term (form 100 to 1000 + years)

Monitoring Frequency (MF)

Baseline

Injection

Pressure
Equilibration

Long Term
Storage

Risk of Leakage

0.1

0.1

10

100

Time Years
MF (years) = 2x (where x = 0,1,2 .)

1000

Monitoring Techniques

Subsurface
Reservoir

Monitoring Depth

Surface

Baseline

Long Term
Storage

Aircraft
Soil Gas
Insitu Tracers

Aircraft
Soil Gas
Insitu Tracers

Aircraft
Soil Gas
Insitu Tracers

Aircraft

3D-Seismic
Tilt Meter
Pressure
Insitu Tracers
Logs
Passive Seismic

3D-Seismic
Tilt Meter
Pressure
Insitu Tracers
Logs
Passive Seismic

3D-Seismic
Tilt Meter
Pressure
Insitu Tracers
Logs
Passive Seismic

3D-Seismic
Tilt Meter

3D-Seismic
Passive Seismic
X-Well Seismic
Tilt Meter
Pressure

3D-Seismic
Passive Seismic
X-Well Seismic
Tilt Meter
Pressure
Injected Tracers
Insitu Tracers
Logs
Injection Rates

3D-Seismic
Passive Seismic
X-Well Seiemic
Tilt Meter
Pressure
Injected Tracers
Insitu Tracers
Logs

3D-Seismic

Insitu Tracers
Logs
0.1

*Assumes

Pressure
Equilibration

Injection

wellbores are abandoned after 100 years

10

Insitu Tracers

Tilt Meter

100

Time Years

1000

Project Risk Level

Guidance on the establishment of a risk
level for a given project will be provided
Likely based on volumes injected versus
reservoir pore volume (~ crude measure of
region of influence) and depth of injection
horizon
Will also likely include other components
of safety or risk assessment
(environmentally sensitive area, near
highly populated area, etc.)

Framework for Monitoring Plan

CO2 injection into coals, depleted oil/gas reservoirs
and saline aquifers
Establish low, medium and high risk project
classifications
Establish operational, verification and environmental
monitoring levels
Establish a suite of monitoring technologies for each
stage of monitoring
Establish frequency of monitoring based on temporal
risk
Effective and economic framework for existing and
anticipated regulations

Source: Bob Mitchell

Staging Storage Opportunities

Capture
&
Economic Analysis

CCS steps offer Innovation

Power Plant Opportunities
Flue Gas (N2 + CO2)
Separation

Compression

$ 30 - 50/t

$ 8 - 10/t

System
Integration?

Pipelining $ 0.7 4/t

Per 100 km

Injection of
Pure CO2

$ 2 - 8/t

Security &
Geological Formations
Added Value ?

CO2 Capture Technology Options

Post-combustion capture
Air
Combustion

Energy/
Power

Flue Gas;

CO2
Capture

10-14% CO2

Oxy-fuel combustion
Coal

Oxyfuel
Combustion

Energy/
Power

Flue Gas;
>80% CO2

CO2
Capture

O2
ASU
O2

Gasification

Pre-combustion capture
Syngas

CO
Shift

>40% CO2

CO2
Capture

H2

Source: CETC, NRCan, 2005

Energy
/Power

CO2 storage needs CO2 supply

- 4 CO2 supply hubs in Alberta

Fort McMurray Oil Sands Hub

Fort Saskatchewan Multi-Industry Hub
Red Deer/Joffre Petrochemical Hub
Wabamun, west of Edmonton Electricity
Generation Hub

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

Developmental Stages of an Oil Sands Emission

Hub

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

Staging a Multi-Industry Emission Hub

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

Developmental Stages of a Petrochemical Emission Hub

Source: CANiCAP, 2005

Developmental Stages of a Electricity Emission Hub

Alberta/CAN: CO2 Sources & Needs

Total CO2 Emissions 180,000
tpd (excluding Transportation)
whereof 134,000 tpd from Coal Fired
Power Plants

High-purity CO2 Sources

10,600 tpd

Fertilizer Plants
EO Plants
Natural Gas Straddle Plants
Oil sands

3 major oil pools estimated to

need 11,500 tpd of CO2 for
EOR
A springboard to a CO2
pipeline?

Source: Enbridge

Current CCS Activities

International Activities
International Organizations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Special Report on CO2 Capture and Storage released in 2005

Framework Convention on Climate Change

CDM office: CO2-EOR project moving through CDM registration process

Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

Collaboration on policy and technical issues (e.g. storage potential,
capture technologies, measurement, monitoring and verification
technologies
21 member nations http://www.cslforum.org/

International Energy Agency / GHG Programme

Provide a central source of information on CO2 Capture and Storage
Research, Development and Demonstration (R, D & D);
Promote awareness of the extent of R, D & D that is now underway;
Facilitate co-operation between projects

Carbon Capture Project (CCP)

Public/private partnership to develop new breakthrough technologies to
reduce the cost of CO2 separation, capture, transportation and storage
from fossil fuel streams by 50% for existing energy facilities and 75% for
new energy facilities.

Other initiatives led by EU nations, Australia

Canada/US Mechanisms

US
Regional Partnerships
Alberta and Saskatchewan engaged in Plains Regional Partnership
BC engaged in West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership
FutureGen
$1 billion industry/government partnership to design, build and operate a 275
megawatt coal gasification-based nearly emission-free, electricity and
hydrogen production plant
Canada
International Test Centre for CO2 Capture
Perform R,D&D in select niche areas where Canada has natural advantages
over other nations and develop technologies for use and export
CANMET Energy Technology Centre
Oxy-fuel combustion, coal gasification, looping combustion
Canadian Clean Power Coalition
Research, develop and demonstrate commercially viable clean coal
technology
Build a full-scale coal-fired demonstration plant by 2012
Canada CO2 Capture and Storage Technology Roadmap

By - Stefan
Bachu, AGS

Moving Innovation Forward

Since step changes are required in
innovation, government has to establish
the environment that attracts innovation in
CCS
Just spending money on research does
not necessarily result in commercialization
Technology adoption can be facilitated by
availability of incentives / penalties

Alberta Positioning
Strong market signals for enhanced resource recovery
and waste minimization
Gasification technologies can allow province to utilize its
plentiful coal, coke and bitumen resources
Alternative to natural gas for hydrogen and electricity
CO2-capture ready facilities

Geological storage pilots helping prove enhanced

recovery integrated with storage, monitoring technologies,
economics, risk assessment techniques, ensure public
acceptability
CO2 backbone pipeline
Link CO2 sources to EOR/ECBM sites

Integrated systems
Creation of industrial hubs/plexes for CO2 source-sink matching

What is needed to accelerate the

commercialization of CCS Innovation?
Innovation in capture systems for CO2 (see
CANiCAP report, and roadmaps on CCS, Oil Sands
& Clean Coal)
Innovation in geological storage systems (see
CANiSTORE report and CCS roadmap)
A CO2 backbone pipeline (see CANiCAP)
Market signals that place value on CO2 storage
Reports and Roadmaps are available from the web
site: www.co2network.gc.ca